Getting up for your first time on a wakeboard can prove awkward. It shouldn't be too difficult but for some reason people have trouble a lot of the time. Here are a few pointers to make it easier. And once you're up the fun begins!

The wakeboard has a heap of surface area so it should pop out of the water really easily. To help this, let the board float in front of you, square to the boat, keep your knees bent and arms around the out side of your legs. As the boat accelerates let your bum go to your heels. You will now be in a squat position wait until the board is planning then stand up using your legs, keeping them slightly bent at the knees. The board will be riding square to the boat. As you stand up put more weight on your back foot and by pulling the handle into your leading hip. This will turn the board to face the boat and lessen the chance of you catching the front edge. (Note: The boat doesn't need to accelerate fast at all. You will be planning before 10mph).

The most common mistakes are:

1. Trying to stand up to quick this will cause the front edge of the board to catch the water and you will fall forward.
2. The boat driver accelerating to hard this will either pull you over the front of the board or rip the handle out of your hands.
3. The biggest one is straightening your legs when you start this will make the board push water like a bull dozer blade (keep your legs bent)

You want your body position to be twisted at the hips. The lower half of your body needs to be in line with the direction of the board. The top half of your body twisted to face towards the boat. You're now riding! From here it is a matter of progressively increasing your skill and confidence by edging outside the wakes, and then going switch. Eventually you will start jumping and hopefully pulling some awesome moves.

Disclaimer

All information provided is to be used at your own risk and Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents accept no responsibility for the validity or legitimacy of the supplied information. Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents will not entertain any claims for damages arising from the use of this information.

Being able to load and release the tension on the line and thus the tension between the board and the water becomes really important when you want to start your inverts. Being able to progressively load up the line in your approach to the wake makes the rotation of your inverts a much more natural rotation.

Loading: the line is when you are leaning against the pull of the boat. This creates a lot of tension between the board and the water, and so, when you release, the boat will pull you up and forward, much like a catapult. Your board will be swept out from under you, which will initiate an invert.

Basically; you will be thrown up and forward. Your board will be thrown beginning the invert. The combination will feel like the board is actually being left behind, or thrown backwards. This motion is naturally seen in a raley, but the same motion is used for all of the load and release inverts.

The type of flip that occurs comes from the movements of your head, shoulders and hips, after you have been thrown, and are airborne. In most of your inverts you want to stand fairly tall. Crouching up will lessen your height and make it harder to throw the board around in time. It depends on the flip as to how tall you stand. In all inverts it is important to get thrown, not throw yourself. If you do try to throw yourself into the flip, a lot of the time you will go too early and not get enough pop, thus not making it all the way around.

Disclaimer

All information provided is to be used at your own risk and Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents accept no responsibility for the validity or legitimacy of the supplied information. Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents will not entertain any claims for damages arising from the use of this information.

One of the most basic but important aspects of wakeboarding is edging ability. True edging enables the rider to edge harder into tricks, heel-side (HS) or toe-side (TS), which allow the rider more time in the air, landing further out into the flats. Once you can hold a true edge you can be a lot more efficient at loading the line. Loading the line properly when performing tricks helps the spinning and flipping rotation, which make your tricks feel a lot smoother, and your landings a lot easier. This excellent drill will enable you to edge true.

Heel-side Edging Protocol

STEP 1

With the boat speed around 10mph, push the board into a front side slide position. Your fins will be broken loose (no traction in the water), sliding on your HS edge. By leaning slightly over either the tip or tail of the board and turning that end slightly towards the boat, you will edge in that direction. Perform this in both directions several times. Both directions will help your switch riding.

STEP 2

Increase boats speed by about 5 mph and once again get into the front side slide position. This time edge your normal HS direction all the way out past the wake making sure that fins are broken loose.

STEP 3

From out wide, edge towards the wake (TS), then in the trough of the wake turn the board into a front side slide, breaking fins loose. Lean slightly over the nose of the board. Sit back slightly using your shoulders for leverage (pull) against the rope. Edge out wide.

STEP 4

Check your edge at normal speed. Starting from the side of the wake, edge HS out. Your edging should have improved so that you are not using your fins. The board will be ploughing through the water and the spray you will produce should be higher then yourself.

Toe-side Edging Protocol

STEP 1

At 10mph, turn the board into a backside slide, holding on with one hand, pushing the handle behind your back, breaking fins loose and leaning over your toes slightly. Edge TS several times inside the wake.

STEP 2

This time hold on with 2 hands whilst in the backside slide position. This position is harder to hold, and you need to twist your lower body, pushing your back foot towards that boat.

STEP 3

Increase speed by 5 mph, and from outside the wakes, edge towards the wake, then turn into the backside slide position, breaking your fins loose. Drive the front third of the board into the water, with your upper body leaning down the rope (away from boat).

STEP 4

Test your edge at normal speed. Start in trough of wake, and edge TS. When edging TS, make sure your belly is pointed skywards, and you are leaning down the rope.

It can help to remove your fins from the board. It will make riding slippery, but it will give you a really good feel for using the edge of your board and not your fins. You want your fins to help stabilize landings and edge away from big airs. You don't want to rely on them for your take off. Your edging and loading of the rope should do that. Practice these drills and you will notice yourself over time naturally edging harder, which will help you go for bigger moves.

A good wakeboard instructional DVD or video is really helpful as the pros are demonstrating what they are teaching you. Some excellent instructional are Detention 2012, HIGHER EDCUATION, THE BOOK. All available at Waterskiers Connection

Disclaimer

All information provided is to be used at your own risk and Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents accept no responsibility for the validity or legitimacy of the supplied information. Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents will not entertain any claims for damages arising from the use of this information.

Question: When should you learn to ride switch? (That's when you ride with your other foot to the front)

Answer: The same day you learn to ride.

Reason. If you develop your switch side early then you will become a much stronger rider for when you attempt your first 180's right through to landing inverts switch and trying your Krypts. Can you imagine how difficult it would be today to learn to write with your other hand. Well that's how hard switch riding has become for those that leave it way to long to start riding switch.

How. Firstly ensure your board is set up symmetrically. That is boots equal distance from each end and at equal angles. Beginners can start then stand into a switch position once their starts become consistent, say after five successful starts. Another way is to slide the board around to switch once you are up and going.

To start off switch, ensure the driver gives the rider a slow steady start and have the rider stand quite slowly. Reinforcement of good posture is critical here as anxiety can easily take over and bad habits develop.

To switch once you are up and going, have the boat speed lowered by about 20 -25% to reduce the effectiveness of the fins and follow these steps. Lead hip pushed forward towards the mid point of the handle, knees well bent and even, back straight. Weight should be centered to slightly forwards. With your toes slightly lifted, smoothly and progressively rotate your back hip around to meet the same mid point of the handle. This needs to be a slow strong move not a rough shove. It is more a case of rotate your hip around to the handle rather than pulling the handle to your hip.

If the rider finds it too difficult to get the fins to release, removing the fins altogether will allow a much easier rotation as well as a slippery ride.

Disclaimer

All information provided is to be used at your own risk and Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents accept no responsibility for the validity or legitimacy of the supplied information. Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents will not entertain any claims for damages arising from the use of this information.